House Committee on Appropriations 75th Legislature February 13, 1997 8:00 am Capitol Extension, E1.030 Pursuant to a notice posted on February 04, 1997, the House Committee on Appropriations met in a public hearing and was called to order by the Chair, Representative Robert Junell at 9:20 am. The roll was answered as follows: Present: Representatives Junell; Averitt; Coleman; Cuellar; Davis; Eiland; Finnell; Gallego; Glaze;Haggerty; Heflin; Hernandez; Hochberg; Kubiak; Moreno; Mowery; Pitts; Raymond; Tillery; Walker; West, George "Buddy" (21). Absent: Representatives Delisi; Greenberg; Hinojosa; Price; Swinford; Turner (6). A quorum was present. (Representatives Delisi; Greenberg; and Turner, Sylvester now present.) (Representative Swinford now present.) (Representative Hinojosa and Price now present.) Land Surveying, Board of Professional Representative Averitt made a motion to adopt LBB and add a rider authorizing exam fee increase. Motion was adopted. Licensing and Regulation, Department of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Agency left pending until committee returns. At 9:54 am, on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until February 13, 1997 at 11:00 am. The meeting reconvened at 11:02 a.m. The roll was answered as follows: Present: Representatives Junell; Delisi; Averitt; Cuellar; Davis; Eiland; Gallego; Glaze; Heflin; Hernandez; Hochberg; Moreno; Pitts; Raymond; Swinford; Tillery; Walker; West, George "Buddy" (18). Absent: Representatives Coleman; Finnell; Greenberg; Haggerty; Hinojosa; Kubiak; Mowery; Price; Turner (9). A quorum was present. Licensing and Regulation (Cont'd) Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. (Representatives Greenberg and Kubiak now present.) (Representative Finnell now present.) Representative Gallego requests a rider to ask them to cut their expenses by 50% for out of state trips. Left pending. (Representative Price now present.) (Representative Hinojosa now present.) (Representative Coleman now present.) Representative Kubiak moves to adopt LBB with pending items and the following amendments. Add riders for elevators and architectural barriers. Reinstate capital budget rider with technical correction. Add additional full time employees for boiler inspections to Article XI. The motion was adopted. At 12:00 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until February 13, 1997 at 1:30 p.m. The meeting was reconvened at 1:35 p.m. The roll was answered as follows: Present: Representatives Junell; Delisi; Averitt; Cuellar;Finnell; Glaze; Haggerty; Heflin; Hinojosa; Kubiak; Moreno; Pitts; Swinford; Tillery; Walker; West, George "Buddy" (16). Absent: Representatives Coleman; Davis; Eiland; Gallego; Greenberg; Hernandez; Hochberg; Mowery; Price; Raymond; Turner (11). A quorum was present. Medical Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. (Representatives Eiland and Raymond now present.) (Representative Greenberg now present.) (Representative Cuellar now present.) (Representative Gallego now present.) (Representative Turner, Sylvester now present.) (Representative Mowery now present.) Representative Delisi offers the proposed rider on Licensing Fee Structure. (Representative Davis now present.) Representative Delisi rider adopted. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $269,390, pending LBB confirmation, for 2 currently authorized full time employees. Add $267,308 for unused workload. Add $45,304 for board travel expenses. Put $26,760 for .5 full time employee for regulation of auricular acupuncture in Article XI. Put $170,128 for 2 full time employees for licensing workload in Article XI. Add Rep. Delisi's rider with comptroller's language. The motion was adopted. Nurse Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and the following amendments. Add $167,168 for enforcement, $106,840 for credentialing of Advance Practice Nurses, $60,000 for National Endorsement Data Bank. Add rider to raise fees with comptroller language. The motion was adopted. Nurse Examiners, Board of Vocational Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $64,870 for enforcement and $52,100 for a capital budget proposal. Add rider to raise fees with comptroller language. The motion was adopted. Optometry Board Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. (Representative Price now present.) Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and as amended. Reinstate Rider 2. The motion was adopted. Pest Control Board, Structural Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Change rider 1 to include the word developing. The motion was adopted. Pharmacy, Board of Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add technical correction. The motion was adopted. Physical and Occupational Therapy Examiners, Executive Council of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and as amended. Add rider requiring the board to adopt rules on disclaimer of services. The motion was adopted. Plumbing Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $72,000 for one-time capital item. Add to apportion a representative in El Paso. Add rider to raise fees and comptroller's language. The motion was adopted. Podiatric Medical Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and as amended. Add $77,536 rider to raise fees and comptroller's language. The motion was adopted. Psychologists, Board of Examiners of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Tillery makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $50,000 from TEA budget for Licensed Specialist in School Psychology and technical correction. The motion was adopted. (Representative Hernandez now present.) Chairman Junell moves the committee stand at ease for 5 minutes at 11:00 am. Committee reconvened at 11:10 am. Racing Commission Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items. The motion was adopted. Real Estate Commission Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $48,790 for additional 1-800 lines. Add comptroller language. Put $181,416 for 3 full time employees for enforcement and complaint resolution in Article XI. Put $30,440 for travel expenses in Article XI. The motion was adopted. Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB. The motion was adopted. Securities Board, State Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add $456,666 with contingency rider and comptroller language. The motion was adopted. Tax Professional Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt LBB. Put $32,026 for toll free number, internet access and tracking system in Article XI. Put $25,002 for examinations and education program monitoring in Article XI. Put rider allowing fee increase in Article XI. The motion was adopted. Utility Commission, Public Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB as amended. Add approximately $70,000 in capital budget rider for purchase of 80 PC's in the MELLP and allow for reimbursement of advisory panel. Increase the number of exempt specialist positions from 22 to 25. Add technical correction. The motion was adopted. Utility Counsel, Office of the Public Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB. The motion was adopted. Veterinary Medical Examiners, Board of Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and technical correction. The motion was adopted. Workers' Compensation Commission Testimony was taken. See attached witness list. Representative Pitts makes a motion to adopt LBB with pending items and as amended. Add $1,268,112 for 31 full time employees for dispute resolution. Add $344,016 for 6 additional Disability Determination Officers. Revise Rider 2. Year 2000 computer related requests pending. Put $385,102 for salary increases and $281,064 for reclassification of ombudsman positions in Article XI. The motion was adopted. Workers' Compensation, Research and Oversight Council on Representative Kubiak makes a motion to leave Research and Oversight Council on Workers' Compensation pending. Article VIII Special Provision Representative Kubiak makes a motion to adopt Rider 1. The motion was adopted. At 7:42 pm, on the motion of the chair and without objection, the meeting was recessed until February 16, 1997 at 7:00 pm for a working session. _____________________________ ______________________ Rep. Robert Junell, Chair Janis Carter, Clerk